Hope and prayer ahead of Twelfth

It began when the Leo Varadkar TD, the Irish Taoiseach, visited the headquarters of the Orange Institution in Belfast.

It continued in the visit by the DUP leader to a GAA Football final in Clones where she was well received and demonstrated in south Belfast when local GAA members accepted the invitation of the local Orange District to visit the Ballnafeigh Orange Hall and in return invited the Orange men to visit the local GAA club.

The annual Orange parade to Rossnowlagh and a recent Orange parade in north Belfast both passed of without incident. It is my hope and prayer these signs of progress will be reflected as we approach both the 11th Night bonfires and the annual Twelfth procession.

I would call on both sides of our community to continue to reflect these signs of progress and not do or say anything which might put a stumbling block to this progress.

Rev William Davison

President of the Methodist Church in Ireland